


'Till the Fearless Come

by Masdevallia



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Confessions, F/M, Post-Black Eagles Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Post-Canon, Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:46:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24031504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masdevallia/pseuds/Masdevallia
Summary: Bernadetta and Hubert grapple with their feelings while they storm Shambhala for their final battle.Hubernie Week Day 4: Shadow
Relationships: Bernadetta von Varley/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 8
Kudos: 43
Collections: Hubernie Week





	'Till the Fearless Come

**Author's Note:**

> The fic's title comes from one of my favorite Gothic Rock/New Wave songs by The Killing Joke, which I strongly associate with this pairing.
> 
> "'Til the fearless come and the act is done,  
> A love like blood, a love like blood"

She would never admit this out loud, but Shambhala was the most beautiful place Bernadetta von Varley had ever seen. The underground stronghold boasted of eerie neon blue lights lighting up not only the walls, but on the floor as well. They weren’t natural lights, nor were they of magic. _Were they artificial lights?_ They reminded her of her own blue veins flowing all throughout her body, especially with how they stood out against her pale skin. Seeing this was as though she were seeing the exact opposite and it was even more striking.

They were now within the shadows of Fódlan. An unspeakable evil that also radiated something like...yearning? Loneliness? Maybe longing? That was the reading that Bernadetta got from this place. 

This was it, however. This was the final battle for the Black Eagle Strike Force. 

One final hurrah. 

Bernadetta didn’t know if this would be the last time all eight of them, plus their Professor, would stand here together like this. Sure, they had other allies with them, but Bernadetta felt a certain kind of sentimentality with her original classmates from all those years ago.

“Here’s the plan,” the Professor said. “I would like for our tank generals to take the lead, so Edelgard and Ferdinand take the left. Hubert, Bernadetta, follow along. Petra and Caspar take the right and go in on an all out attack. Linhardt, stay close to them and do any healing as necessary. Dorothea. I will need you to take out Chilton with one well-timed Meteor spell, just like we rehearsed, all right? Everyone else is with me. I know this will be difficult without our mounts, but the intel provided said we would be put firmly at a disadvantage with them, right, Hubert?”

“Uh,” Caspar drawled, “That’s great and all, but _what are those_ doing here again?” He pointed towards the giant machines where. Bernadetta recalled seeing them all that time ago, over at Arianrhod when they defeated Cornelia. 

“Well, well, if it isn’t our old friends, the Titanus,” Hubert said. 

“She called them her ‘dolls’, didn’t she?” Dorothea said, shuddering. It was clear that out of all of her Black Eagles friends, Dorothea was the most terrified here, and that was saying something, because all Bernadetta felt was a calm and a sense of clarity here. She _knew_ her enemies. There was nothing to fear here.

“We already know how to defeat them. Formations, everyone!” the Professor said.

They had separated. 

“I can defeat more enemies than you can, Edelgard,” Ferdinand said as they began their march through the long, narrow corridors.

“Really, Ferdinand? This again?” she said.

“There is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition! Unless you are willing to face defeat.”

Bernadetta saw Hubert rolling his eyes. She inched closer to him. “Aren’t you going to say something?” she whispered to him. In the past, Hubert would scold Ferdinand for getting in Edelgard’s way. But when they were students at the academy, Ferdinand was reckless and impetuous. It had nearly gotten him killed on more than one occasion.

“As irritating as it may seem, their competition might do us some good in the final battle. Overall, I’ve learned that intervening when Ferdinand bothers Edelgard can make for quite the motivational hazard.”

His hand accidentally brushed hers as they walked side-by-side. Bernadetta took notice of their fingers touching and looked away. “Sorry! I got too close. I should um…”

“My apologies,” he said, looking straight ahead. It was impossible to see the true colors of his face with the neon lights dancing around them, but his deathly pale face appeared bluer in the light. 

Her pulse ran as she too, deflected from his line of sight, her gaze focused on the flower she made for him, pinned to his collar. Even the flower looked translucent in the eerie light. Now that they were quiet, they could only hear the conversation Edelgard and Ferdinand were having about battle techniques. It was too far out of her depth, and also his. “How are you faring? You don’t appear scared in the slightest.”

“Well...That’s because we’ve got our work cut out for us, right?” she said. They had spent loads of time together after Rhea had been defeated. Hubert had personally requested Bernadetta to help him do reconnaissance missions against the Agarthans and Bernadetta...she didn’t want to say no. It had more to do with the fact that she hadn’t had a clue as to what to do after the war. She wasn’t ready to return to her territory, to seclusion and for the adventure to be over. 

The other reason...well, Hubert proved to be a pretty good friend. It was something she hadn’t anticipated from him all those years ago, but not only were their conversations lively, they worked well together. And...and...

“The Professor and her squadron shall take care of the forces striking from the front, leading into the control room. What we need to do is provide Her Majesty and Ferdinand support and to watch for the Viskams. We need to act quickly,” Hubert said, interrupting her thoughts.

Thanks to the survey they had conducted, Bernadetta knew that other than Arundel, who was actually Thales, there were five generals they needed to take out, or as Hubert called them, “more rats to exterminate”. 

“We can do this!” she said. 

“You’re quite the optimist,” he said. Their hands had brushed again. This time, neither of them recoiled.

“So are you, Hubert.” She knew he would claim otherwise so she refocused her vision back to him, pleasantly surprised to see him looking straight at her this time. “I know you say these things like ‘those who spend time around me become bored and depressed’ but I really don’t feel that way at all when I’m around you.” In fact, Bernadetta had developed a full-blown crush on him. She didn’t know when it had actually developed. If it had happened all those years ago when they studied together or when she ran around with them during the five years their Professor went missing or if was during the war’s end. 

His ring and little finger grazed hers. Her heart raced.

She spotted him wearing the ghost of a smile. “This is rather poor timing but last night what I wanted to sa—” A rumble followed by shockwaves interrupted whatever it was that Hubert was about to say.

“What in blazes was that?” Ferdinand said. 

“Arundel, no, _Thales_ is doing this,” Edelgard said, gritting her teeth. She moved forward, surprisingly lithe under all that armor.

Another shockwave hit, causing Bernadetta to teeter and go off balance. The lights flickered and disappeared as Hubert caught her in his arms. She silently thanked him and he nodded in turn.

When the intravenous lights came back on, Edelgard and Ferdinand were gone. 

“H-huh? Wh-where’d they go?” Bernadetta said. “They were just here a second ago!”

“I do not know. Thales has something up his sleeve. Stay close to me, Bernadetta.” She got so close to him, their bodies were now touching. Bernadetta wasn’t afraid, not nearly as much these days. She figured if she could handle being around Hubert, beat scary ladies like Cornelia and Catherine and face off against a large, murderous insane dragon like Rhea, she could handle anything. But now? Now she was scared once again.

* * *

Hubert von Vestra was a lot more afraid than he had let on.

_I should have said something, anything last night to her._

Even if this was the final battle, Hubert knew it was never the time to grow complacent. They had known their enemies, sure, but just because they were on a relentless expedition didn’t mean they _truly_ knew them. 

Hubert wasn’t expecting tremors in an underground facility of all things. He figured that would be suicide, but he positied if he were cornered like an insect, he would do anything to save himself by all means nessecsary. 

And now that he was alone with Bernadetta once more, just as he was last night, he wondered if their angle was to divide and conquer. He wondered if that had happened to Dorothea and Petra or any combination of the other generals. 

He thought of last night, when he saw her from just outside the dining hall at their base, otherwise known as their former school. He had only meant to watch the pond late at night from that distance. It wasn’t high enough to instill unease in him, but the waters were dark enough, deep enough to where he knew Edelgard would never follow. 

And then he saw Bernadetta’s familiar outline scurrying towards the greenhouse, her shadowy silhouette almost invisible to the untrained eye. Bernadetta may have had the better vision, but Hubert was attuned to the darkness, to the shadows that creeped or the creatures that went bump in the night.

It was why they worked so well together as a pair. 

He followed her, announcing his presence when he entered the greenhouse. Even though she proved to no longer be fearful of him, he still wanted to show consideration on his part. “Evening, Bernadetta. It’s rather late, isn’t it?”

She was watering the plants with a watering can. “Hey Hubert! I thought that was you. I can tell by your shadow. And yeah, it’s pretty late. In case you can’t tell, I’m not sleepy at all!” Her friendliness was awe inspiring to him. To think this was the same girl who cowered at the very sight of him. 

Hubert laughed. “Either you’ve become an expert or I’ve become sloppy.”

“Hm,” she said, still watering the plants, “Well, I don’t think I’m as good as you with being sneaky, but you’re the last person I’d call that! I think you _wanted_ me to hear you.” She turned in his direction. “Thanks for the compliment, by the way. Um...do you want to help me water the plants?”

“Of course. I’ll take the row behind you.”

They wanted the plants in silence, only the moonlight shining through the glass roof. The act of watering plants was calming. _It’s no wonder Bernadetta frequently does this._ He wondered if his anxious self from over six years ago would have been able to relax in this manner. Then again, his twenty year old self had a lot of questionable methods.

“I should go back to my room again. Thanks for helping me feed the plants!” They had turned and faced one another. Bernadetta wasn’t easily visible in the moonlight. If anything, she looked like a shadow. For a moment, he wondered if he had conjured up a ghostly image of her, but she was so beautiful to behold. He wanted to reach out and touch her, to make certain she was real.

He shook his head. “It was my pleasure.” The silence that ensured after was unbearable. “Will you be able to sleep after this?” he said, the words blurting out of him. It was a stupid question and knowing Bernadetta, there were fifty possible ways she could misconstrue it.

“I think I will,” she said. “Um, night!”

She paused, watching what he knew was his silhouette in the moonlight. She didn’t move, and neither did she.

Hubert wanted to catch her hand, lift it, and kiss it. _The final battle is tomorrow. Tell her you’d like to court her after._ But Hubert froze. He couldn’t even open his mouth. 

He could tell Bernadetta was lost in thoughts, too. Or maybe sleep was catching up to her. 

Hubert finally found his words. “Goodnight, Bernadetta.”

She nodded, and seconds later, the girl he was infatuated with left him.

And now he was about to bring up the idea of possibly courting her before the tremors started and they were alone. Truly alone. And not in a way he had wanted.

“Oh no!” Hubert could hear the fear in her voice once more after he told her to stick close. Now, Bernadetta’s hand had found his as they navigated through the darkness. It squeezed his, and while Hubert would have savored a moment like this, it would have been under any other circumstance.

“It’s best we don’t deal with the Titanus ourselves,” he said, attempting to navigate through the maze. “We don’t have the defenses Her Majesty and Ferdinand possess.”

“I k-know, Hubie,” she said. He was surprised by the nickname she had given him. Only Dorothea called him that, but she had nicknames for everyone. It was endearing coming from Bernadetta. 

Bernadetta abruptly let go of his hand, readying her bow and arrow. Hubert now saw the outline of a shadow quickly running their way forward in their direction. It still astounded Hubert just how quickly she could set up and get into position before the arrow flew from its bow, hitting their attacker straight in the chest.

Hubert heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind and he turned around. Another assailant was close to them, too close, almost, and he charged up Miasma and released it. Hubert admitted he always got a thrill whenever he summoned the shadows within, said shadows used to end the life of another. He felt powerful. For someone who lacked a crest, it was a vindication. That despite whatever preconceived notions and self-important opinions on crest bearers were, Hubert proved himself the exception. 

And once these pests were taken out. their dreams would come to fruition. And he wanted to share them with Bernadetta.

“Are you okay?” she asked. 

He nodded. “What about you?”

“I am.” There was a heavy pause. “Should we check their bodies?”

“We should, just to make certain if there’s a key that will allow us to rejoin the others.” They momentarily meandered forth. Hubert made sure not to linger or stray for too long as he inspected the Agathan he just killed. He had an axe, essentially a weapon he found useless. What he liked about Miasma was that it was bloodless, allowing for easy inspection. The injuries were often internal and depending on the caster’s experience and the victim’s magical resistance, it could cause instant death if aimed properly.

A screaming interrupted him.

“Bernadetta!” He saw her battling with an enemy who had ambushed her. Bernadetta had equipped her lance. Hubert knew from their training that she wasn’t nearly as confident with the lance as she was with her bow and arrows but as he ran he saw her impaling her assailant again and again all the while yelling…

The Agarthan had fallen to the ground, blood pooling around her. Blood splatter was on Bernadetta’s face. “She ambushed me!” Bernadetta said. “I almost didn’t see her.” Hubert was quick to notice how her breathing had changed. Then when their eyes met, he saw her pupils were dilated. Even in this eerie blue light he could see that. He was relieved she was still here with him. But they had gotten careless.

Hubert admonished his own behavior. He shouldn’t have been careless with his directives. “From now on, we shouldn’t separate when we’re alone like this. I know the Professor said to check all of our kills but I cannot bear to lose you, Bernadetta.”

It wasn’t something he meant to say out loud.

“Me, too, H-Hubert,” she said, her voice in the barest of whispers. His heart beat, in part, due to the adrenaline rush of his mistake, but now it beat even faster from just three words. 

“We ought to go now. Edelgard and Ferdinand will require our assistance.” They had continued their way forth, seeking a door or perhaps a gate. They were met with more enemies, more vermin to exterminate. Hubert recalled what the professor said about pacing and his ability to cast spells. There was, unfortunately, a limit to just how many spells he could cast before his body would hit a proverbial wall, so for the time being, he had to rely on the Arrow of Indra (a lance, he noted with delicious irony he had acquired from the very people he was now fighting against) while Bernadetta struck their enemies from afar. 

He noted her change in demeanor since their carelessness. Her movements were faster, the way she picked up each arrow from her quiver was done in an efficient and expeditious manner, her hits more precise, even from a large distance away and she appeared to hit even harder, with a stagger number of her hits being critical blows. Sometimes he could see a glow in her for the fraction of a second, enough to self doubt it, but that was surely her crest activating.

Because Hubert had been using his lance more, he had the remnants of his opponents on him. Mostly in the form of their blood on his armor, but plenty of it had seeped into his hair, some of it had splattered on his face and hands and now clung to him. But that didn’t matter. 

But it was nothing if it meant he could be the one carving a bloody trail, with the ones he cared about remaining pure, remaining above it all. And to him, Bernadetta had definitely counted. 

Bernadetta threw a javelin at what looked like an Agarthan Trickster. _A trickster. Not your everyday class._

The trickster had disappeared from their sight, with Bernadetta’s javelin missing. It had instead hit the wall. 

And then, as if in slow motion, he saw the Trickster quickly materialize just behind Bernadetta, his sword raised high above, ready to stab Bernadetta in the back. A most cowardly action. “Behind you!” Hubert yelled. 

Bernadetta turned, the Trickster’s sword barely nicking her shoulder. Bernadetta was of course, faster, her lance impaling her opponent clean. He made no noise while Bernadetta retracted her lance. The corpse of the Trickster crumpled to the ground.

She saw something glint from his belt. It was a key. Hubert found it amusing that even in this intricate darkness, the keys all appeared the same to him. Bernadetta lowered, grabbing the key as the blood pooled around him. He heard her wince.

“Did he hurt you?” Hubert asked. He would have further desecrated the corpse for hurting Bernadetta, but when she met him, she smiled she shook her head. “Allow me to quickly inspect your shoulder.”

It really only had been a minor nick. Hubert wasn’t very good at Faith magic, in fact, it had been one of his cripplng weaknesses, but the Professor thought it was of importance for him to at least learn the Recover spell. This was minor enough to warrant a heal.

But it was something else that caught his eye. There was a trail of blood dripping down from her chest. It was a small trail, but the lower he cast his gaze, the more evident that it was her blood as the small droplets dripped to the floor. 

“Oh, Bernadetta, what am I going to do with you?”

* * *

Bernadetta was no stranger to battlefield injuries. In fact, the Professor was quick to note that Bernadetta was incentivized by the injuries she’d sustain in battle. She had fantastic vision already, but everything always appeared sharper to her whenever she was in pain. Her hearing was clearer, as she could always hear the weight of her opponent’s footsteps, or the way they would sheathe their weapon. Her sense of smell was heightened, but the best effect from taking injuries was how much _faster_ and _stronger_ she was now. 

Bernadetta was motivated by the heat of battle. She was doing this for everyone, yes, but she felt _useful_ , valuable, even. Everything her father told her growing up was void. The Professor figured it out so long ago, all the way back when they fought against Lord Lonato when an enemy archer had sniped at her through the fog. And after, they had a meeting where it was agreed that Bernadetta could sustain injuries but only for a period of time if it had given them a tactical advantage.

But that look Hubert was giving her right now made her feel anything but motivated. 

“When did this happen?” he asked. 

“When we got ambushed. The first time.” 

He frowned. She had been keeping this from him, yes, but this wasn’t the first time she had done this, so why did he seem so upset? Hubert placed his hands over her wound, reciting a Recovery spell. It was beginning to heal when she placed her hand over his, her bloody gloves touching his own bloodstained ones. “Hubert…”

“Bernadetta…” The look in his eyes was pleading. Bernadetta felt her own eyes going wide. In the middle of this darkness, in the shadows of the underground and Hubert was giving her a tender gaze. _I’m not misreading it, am I?_ “Please. Allow me to heal you.”

There was something about that pleading gaze that made Bernadetta absently nod her head. 

“Good. Now stay still.” There was a quality to his voice that Bernadetta hadn’t quite heard before, or rather she did but definitely not in battles. He sounded... tender to her. Hubert wasn’t a skilled healer, but the pain had dulled. “There. It’s enough for now. At least until a more capable cleric can tend to your wounds. What matters is that you’re no longer bleeding.”

“T-thanks,” she said.

‘We ought to go now that we have a key. If someone was attacking us here, then we mustn’t be too far from whatever this unlocks.”

And of course, Hubert was correct. 

He generally was, hence why he was one of Edelgard’s tacticians. 

She was the one who had opened the gate, which had led to an inner chamber. 

Edelgard and Ferdinand were in the middle of taking down a Titanus. They were so locked in the middle of the battle (and likely of their own healthy competition) that neither noticed the nearby mages holding devices that were beyond Bernadetta’s comprehension. In the far distance, she could see Petra and Caspar attacking another Titanus, while Dorothea protected Linhardt. 

The Professor was nowhere to be seen.

Bernadetta aimed an arrow over at a mage who appeared to be controlling the Titanus. She was positioned too high up for any of them to reach her. “That must be Bias,” Hubert said. “She must think she’s so clever by placing herself at the base of the chamber’s rooftop. How unfortunate.” He turned to Bernadetta. Both knew what was to come next. It was Bernie’s time to shine. “I’ll distract her,” he said. Bernadetta followed him to a certain point before he started provoking the mage with magic. It was evident he was doing this by using a Nosferatu spell. Hubert never used Nosferatu unless he was toying with his opponent. It was working. She had set down what looked like a tablet and took the bait, attacking Hubert back. The force of her magic caused Hubert to stumble back and fall to the ground. She knew he could survive this, he was tough against magic. He was giving her the chance for an opening. She would dote on him later.

“Please hit!” she said to herself, aiming her bow and arrow at Bias’s direction.

She landed the blow, hitting Bias square in the stomach. But that wasn’t enough. Bernadetta got another arrow and shot again. And again. And again. Until Bias had fallen from the ceiling, face first on the floor, the arrows impaling her.

“Now!” Edelgard yelled at Ferdinand as they finished the Titanus off. 

After that, a chamber door opened and Edelgard ran as fast as she could. Dorothea was also scrambling. The Titanus hadn’t been taken out on her end, but the order was to have her go inside and use a meteor strike inside the chamber. “The Professor must be inside.”

Hubert, Ferdinand, Bernadetta, and Linhardt all made their way towards the center. Hubert was limping.

He recoiled at the sight of Hubert and Bernadetta. “What kind of scuffle did the two of you get into?”

“Sorry!” Bernadetta said. She knew Linhardt was still uneasy around blood.

“It’s not my problem, but could the two of you be any less violent?” He sighed and yawned. Bernadetta wondered how he could even yawn in a place like this. “Do any of you need healing?”

“Bernadetta requires it,” Hubert said.

Linhardt tended to her while Ferdinand staved off some enemies trying to escape the chaos that ensued from the innermost chamber. While it was nice to be healed, Bernadetta felt the adrenaline rush diminishing, her senses becoming more dulled. 

They were about to win this battle. It would be over soon. Even the Viskams weren’t operating properly anymore, or perhaps they were faulty, anyway. One had tried to hit Ferdinand and completely missed.

“How about you, Hubert?”

“A simple healing spell will do. Perhaps a concoction if you have one to spare.” 

Linhardt healed Hubert. “I should get going now. I would rather leave before you get all that blood on my clothes.” He left to subdue one of the Agarthans Caspar was currently beating up. 

The battle was surely nearing its end. 

“I ought to accompany Edelgard inside that chamber. You should stay out here with the others,” he said, his eyes directly meeting hers. 

“O-okay, Hubert. Please stay safe.”

Hubert didn’t move. Bernadetta didn’t realize her hand was on his wrist until he moved. It had reminded her of something they had learned in one of their classes. About two opposing forces who felt a pull towards each other. 

_What’s the word for it, Bernie?_

Attraction. 

Hubert had acted first, leaning in Bernadetta’s direction. It was like instinct, and she couldn’t hold back anymore. The moment was far too charged. Perhaps she hadn’t lost her adrenaline, not truly. 

She went on her tiptoes, her fingers gripping his armor as their lips met. 

Despite the initial roughness of how their bodies met and clung to one another, his lips were soft and gentle. A contrast to everything going on right now. His kiss was decisive, firm, and had a sense of finality. Not the sad kind of finality, but of the fact that this was the end of it all. The end of the road they were on. That whatever was next they would face together.

Bernadetta had never been kissed before. She had read lots and lots of romance books yet she had never once imagined it would be covered in blood in the middle of an underground city, but she supposed this kiss would be one to remember. She could hear the screams and the fighting as well the metallic clang of weapons meetings and spells being cast. She was certain she had heard the noise of a meteor.

Hubert broke their kiss and pulled away, her hands sliding from their place where she was gripping from. “I’ll see you soon,” he said, running into the innermost chamber.

Bernadetta realized then and there that she didn’t need to be injured to be a better fighter. The adrenaline rush she had felt earlier was now back again.

* * *

A few minutes later, the Professor, Jeritza, and Edelgard were dragging Thales from the chamber in front of all of the Eagles to see. Hubert and Dorothea had disposed of the mages running the Viskams, which were completely destroyed thanks to a meteor spell. Dorothea had cast the spell twice. The first time she did it caused the Viskams to go haywire, missing every shot. The second time had completely destroyed the outer machinery. Hubert had hoped the damage wasn’t too irreparable. He wouldn’t mind the Empire’s finest minds to tinker with it.

But right now, what mattered was watching Her Majesty’s eyes narrowing at the man who caused all of her suffering. He was groveling at her feet.

“Long have I waited for this moment,” Edelgard said. 

Hubert was besides her in seconds, subduing him with a Banshee spell. “Ah, so much better,” he said. From Thales’s motions, Hubert knew it was not unlike being chained up. “This must have been what Her Majesty felt like all that time ago.” He also thought of Bernadetta herself, who had faced a similar life of being chained by someone who was supposed to be familiar with her. Bernadetta, who had risen from the shadows and fought alongside them. Their eyes met and he nodded before breaking their gaze. This was the moment he had been waiting for his whole life and just minutes ago, he had gathered the courage to kiss Bernadetta. But he needed to focus on _this_.

“As well as my siblings. You remember them, don’t you?” She listed their names one by one.

“You...betrayed…” Thales said before Hubert cast another Banshee. Thales didn’t deserve the mercy of having his final words. His words were already a blight upon the world.

“I, Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg, first of her name, the Flame Emperor and Unifier of Fódlan, sentence you to die.” She raised Aymr and as she did so, Hubert did not flinch as she separated Thales’s head from his body.

“It’s over,” Edelgard said, breathing in and out. 

“Indeed. Congratulations on another victory, Lady Edelgard.” He bowed at her. Followed by the Professor, who had grabbed her hand while bowing and the rest of the Strike Force.

The Eagles began to leave the underground facility the way they came, laughing and possessing the collective feeling of relief from after their battle. It was bright outside, the sun blinding. Hubert wasn’t often in the sun, preferring to stick to the shadows but for the first time in his life, he was welcoming it. 

Bernadetta had left the small conversation she was having with Petra and Dorothea and walked up to him. They slowed down a little bit. But still walked close enough to the group to catch up.

“Are you still injured?” Hubert asked.

“It’s not anything that won’t heal after a good night’s rest,” she said. “And oh! I could really use a good meal, too! And I need to clean up your flower again. It’s gotten a little dirty.” He saw the flower was now covered in bloodstains. 

“Pe...perhaps…” Hubert stumbled on his words. “Perhaps we can share that meal together?” He interlocked his fingers together in a poor effort to hide his nerves. His stomach was now turning into knots. The kiss they shared minutes earlier had seared into his brain. He wanted another one. 

“I-I’d like that,” she said. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Maybe then we can talk about...other things. Things not related to battle and spying and the like,” he said flatly, lamenting how dreadful he was at this. Even now as they were covered in blood and looked absolutely filthy, he found her beautiful. 

“Like um, seeing each other, maybe?”

“Er…” Hubert looked away from her in a poor attempt to hide the blush on his face. But the sun was unable to hide it. “Precisely so. Such as a...courtship? Would you be adverse to the idea?”

Her hand found his and she nodded. Then shook her head. Hubert’s heart flailed. “I mean...yes! Bernie would like to start a courtship with you! Um, maybe we can start tonight at dinner.”

“Her Majesty will likely hold a celebratory feast tonight.”

“Yes, and um, I’ll dance with you and um maybe after...Oh, forget it, Bernie. Just be brave, already!” He was confused for a moment before she pulled him down, her lips meeting his. He was not surprised over the softness Bernadetta possessed. From the feeling of her lips, to the way she leaned into his palm when he placed his hands on her warm cheeks.

“Is this what you had in mind for after our celebrations?” he said after, teasing her, their faces just centimeters apart.

“Um...maybe. Yes.”

“Then perhaps I can indulge you,” he said. He kissed her again, basking in her warm embrace. He enjoyed the way she would kiss him back. He could get used to this newfound way of showing affection.

A voice interrupted them. “Come on lovebirds, or else you’ll get left behind,” Dorothea’s voice yelled from a distance.

Bernadetta went red and Hubert too, presumed he was feeling a similar shyness. He was ready now to put all of this behind him. He would always remain Edelgard’s sinister shadow, his reputation would always precede him, but now he truly had a life ahead of him, at least with Bernadetta. He took a hold of her hair. “Well, then. Shall we continue into the light together?"


End file.
